Although the real winter may not always start with "winter Commences" day (the continuation of days that has temperature lower than 10 Celsius, or 50 F, usually is treated as the real start of winter), in traditional Chinese, the character for "winter" （冬）, meanings the same as "end" （終）. Winter is the ending season of the year, so is the farming activities. After the autumn harvest, all crops are stored, and many animals are ready for hibernation. Yang energy goes towards its lowest level and Yin goes very strong. Everything is in a state of "storing", gathering and store its energy for next spring to grow. Therefore in order to make sure we have great Yang energy for next spring and stay healthy in winter, the keys for health preservation are, "slow down", "being more static", "store", "hide", and remain a stable emotional state. Make sure to get more sleep than usual, do not force yourself for any unnecessary physical and mental activities.
It is also the transition season of "dry" and "cold". Things are often at it's extreme towards the end, therefore this can be the driest small season so far before real winter cold arrives. That makes 2 things very important to us. No.1, prepare for the cold and keep your body warm; No.2, balance body organs moisture level, avoid being harmed by dryness.
In Chinese traditional folk culture, the day of "winter commences" is the best time to “intake” or eat great stuff for a day in plain saying. People believe that to eat the best you can in this day can benefit you for the entire winter. But in reality we need to be smart about the "intake". We often see people eat a lot of things that considered "nourishing", but get ill from them instead. Besides eating enough fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, the main directions for winter food in northern areas (cold areas) are high energy food, such as potato, beef and lamb (lamb is my personal favor all year round, although for sure it works the best in cold season); On the other hand, in southern areas (warmer areas)it is better to take foods that are fresh, clear, mild and warm, such as chicken, duck and fish.
Joints, especially knees, related symptoms are rampant during winter. If you already have knees problem it is the season for you to be extra careful. Make sure to keep your knees warm by wrapping them with necessary layers, but meanwhile make sure to use them to keep the structure active and alive. For those whose knees are still in good shape, don't take it for granted, take care of them by keeping them warm, avoid any possible direct wind blow and dampness, meanwhile maintain reasonable exercises like jogging, walking and Tai Chi.
In colder areas, after you start to heating your house, the air in the closed room are usually very dry, thus may cause skin and respiratory system related problems. Therefore maintaining good air moisture level is also very important. A small humidifier may help. Also, do open the windows for a bit in a nicer winter day to exchange the air. Preferable open the windows that face south, and strictly avoid draught.
Finally just another simple and great tip you should do every winter night before you go to bed. Bath your feet (soak them in hot-warm water) for several minutes (or until the water seems to be cooling down) even if you already took a shower earlier, dry them well and rub the bottom of your feet. Trust me this doesn't take long to do but benefit you longer than you can imagine, if you persevere.
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